Fall Bird Watching. October 13,2020

 

We never know when we head out to do bird watching what we might see.

The first thing I can say about our day was that we almost died.

At least I felt like we could have been killed.  As we travelled along the

highway a truck in front of us had 6 pieces of metal come flying off it and straight at us.

It was like being in an action movie, and I can say as I grabbed the

"OH SHIT HANDLE"  That in my brain I was thinking this could be

very painful.  Big pieces of metal flew under our car, 

they flew over our car.  Thank God for the strength of the

windshield, and my husbands ability to keep the car going forward despite

the metal flying at us.

The car is a bit dented and scraped but we are alive.

It was Blue Heron day at the bird refuge. We sat and watched

this one catch a meal. I'm not sure what it is that it is eating.

I wish the grass was not right by it's face. 

These birds are a bit prehistoric looking.

There were about 4 or 5 of them along the road we were driving on.

I call this "The Duck Family Photo" I am not

sure what types of ducks these are, but

they gathered around each other to make a perfect photo for me.

I almost think they escaped from a local farm.

Isn't this bird just beautiful. I was so happy 

to get such nice photos.

Most of the birds we saw were actually around the

road, and not on the nature walk path.

I want to walk this trail this winter, I've heard

Bald Eagles come in the winter.

There were actually a lot of fish in the water.

They have placed this big wooden benches all along

the path, and there are cool bird images burned into them.

There were a few interesting plants 

to photograph.

What will winter be like Mr. Wooly Bear?

These little caterpillars move fast.

It's so nice to just be outside. I've ordered

some new binoculars that you are supposed to 

be able to take photos with.  I'm hoping it will enhance my

bird photography.

Well hope you enjoyed the photos. 

I certainly enjoyed my bird watching afternoon.

G.G.

A Walk at the gardens with Mr. James. October 2020

 

I don't like to do Selfie photos, that is why we have

our Shadow kissing photos.  Usually with something interesting

beyond the shadow.

 There was a man who was chased by a mountain

lion here in Utah recently, the only feline we have seen

on our walks is this black cat.  It did not want to make friends with us.

I can't believe how fast summer flew by. 

There were still some pretty flowers blooming to look at.

I'm enjoying fall, but I do not 

look forward to winter.  I don't look forward to being 

stuck in the house.  I love going on walks and with the virus 

I don't want to go to indoor events and be around a bunch of people.

One thing that I have started to do more of is family 

history research.  My big project is scanning all of my

papers onto a flash drive and then putting them onto

the Ancestry.com website with my family tree.

This way I can get rid of most of the papers,

which will help me organize and declutter my house,

and I also can share all this information I have been collecting

for 24 years.

I have actually done really well this year with the goals I have

set.  I have been able to get my house more organized,

I have become so much more physically fit.

I have grown spiritually, and I have had lots of

fun dates with my husband.

While I know everyone is sick of 2020 and

the Corona virus, I have to say I have felt very blessed so far.

Everyone in my family has kept working,

we have stayed healthy, we have enjoyed each others company.

I have actually done more exploring of Utah's hiking trails because 

I didn't want to be in crowded areas.

We have seen more of the trails near our home,

and enjoyed time by the lake.

I've gotten better at meal planning because we don't

eat out as often, and I have been getting

emergency food supplies and 72 hour kits for my family.

Life has been different, but I have still had

so much to be thankful for.

I love my time walking with my husband. We have so much fun.

At my work I am in charge of the balloons.

We sell a lot of balloons. 

We have been told to order lots of New Year balloons because

so many people are done with the year 2020, that there

will probably be lots of parties.

Wouldn't it be nice if at midnight on New Years Eve

this pandemic would be over.

The problem is it won't be.

How do you stay resilient in times of trouble?

What things are you doing so that you can keep

positive when there is so much negative around?

I try to get all my errands done before my days off, so

that on my days off I can go out in nature, or stay home

and not have to wear a face mask.

I also listen to more spiritual music, and try to

listen to a gospel related talk everyday.

I also exercise 5 days a week.

I've started to do 30 day challenges with my 

exercise too. I feel so much better physically.

I also have changed my diet and eat a lot less sugar.

I'm constantly looking for ways to make my life feel

more peaceful. 

Going out and playing photographer is another one

of my favorite things to do.

I love all the fall colors.

Well I hope you are safe and healthy.

Hope you enjoyed the photos.

Do you have a favorite fall flower?

I think mine would be Mums.

Take Care.

G.G.

When life gets crazy, go for a walk. Another fun fall walk. October 2020

 

Here is something I don't often photograph, a spider

making it's web.  My husband wanted this photo.

They are interesting to watch.

I want to buy a new camera that has a better zoom lens

for when I go bird watching.  If you have any suggestions

let me know. I thought this was an interesting 

looking bird.

With the pandemic the things I would usually do I have not done this

year.  I usually would spend hours walking the local gardens.

This year I have spent more time walking at the lake

and on the trails in the mountains.

It's been fun to see new things. This is an old

car grave yard.  Well that is what I am calling it.

My husband would have loved to have crawled around and tried 

to figure out what these cars used to be, before they got buried.

Our new favorite place to walk is

by the bridal veil falls.

It's fun to spot the different wildlife.

My husband hasn't figured out that you need

to be quiet to get the photo.  So off runs the deer.

I think this trail was 7 miles long.

It was such a nice fall day.  It's been nice to 

go places and forget about the world and all it's problems.

The fall colors are just so beautiful.

Are there things you are doing this fall just to enjoy the season?

I have been doing these walks, and having 

hot cocoa and I'm also starting to make a different soup every week.

I have read a book that takes place in the fall, and

perhaps I will try to find a movie that takes place in the fall.

I'm thinking of watching  "You've Got Mail."

I like the line about sharpened pencils in the fall.

My new favorite treat is the Mcdonald's

pumpkin cream pie.  It's the perfect blend of

pumpkin, cream and pie crust.

I love the texture of grass in the fall. 

These fall walks have given us something to look

forward to when the week gets long.

We count down the days to our next day date together.

It was so cool watching this bird, I'm

thinking it's a hawk.  

My husband and I have been working through this whole 

pandemic.  There are moments when I wish we had been 

able to have a few weeks off, like other people. 

It seems like it is going on forever and ever.  

Walking outdoors has helped us to stay positive and 

keep going on.

I think I may have to invest in some really warm winter boots

because I can't imagine staying inside all winter. 

I do have a ton of indoor projects lined up just encase.

Perhaps I will get my photos organized this winter. 

Hope you are all staying well.

G.G.